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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made his plans known early about his coaching future.
Kerr told The Athletic that he would step down as Team USA coach after next year’s Paris Olympics.
Team USA failed to win a medal under Kerr in the 2023 FIBA World Cup last summer in Manila, Philippines. But with NBA superstars led by LeBron James and Stephen Curry committing to the Olympics, Kerr will have a chance to redeem himself next summer in his “Last Dance.”
“To me, it’s a two-year; it’s a cycle,” Kerr explained to The Athletic about his decision. “[Gregg Popovich] coached a World Cup and the Olympics, now it’s my turn to pass the baton. I think that’s kind of how it should be.”
“Frankly, it’s a huge commitment too. I guess I think it was different the last go-around with Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and Jerry (Colangelo) when they were really establishing this culture and this system where guys had to commit for a couple of years. Made sense for Coach K to stay on. But I think where we are now, one cycle and you move on.”
With Kerr’s future with Team USA already certain, the next to be settled is with the Warriors. The 58-year-old coach is in the final year of his contract.
“I feel great about my position here, and I wanna be here,” Kerr said, per a video from Anthony Slater of The Athletic during the training camp in September. “I know [GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.] and [owner Joe Lacob] want me here, so I’m very confident something will get done. But I’m not stressed about it all. And I’m perfectly capable whether I have one year left or an extension, it makes no difference. But I fully expect to be here.”
Dunleavy said in August that Kerr and Klay Thompson’s extensions were “high priority level in terms of getting those guys done.” But they have failed to come to terms this offseason. Now, both Kerr and Thompson are without an extension with the season already underway.
Warriors Top 3 in Heavy’s NBA Power Rankings
The contract situation of both Kerr and Thompson hasn’t been a distraction to the streaking Warriors.
With Curry’s hot start to the season and Chris Paul on a historic run as their Sixth Man, the Warriors vaulted to No. 3 in Heavy.com’s NBA Power Rankings.
Their 6-2 win-loss record is currently the third-best in the West behind the Dallas Mavericks’ 6-1 and defending champion Denver Nuggets’ 7-1 cards.
Unlike last season when they stunk on the road with only 11 wins, the Warriors carry the league’s best road record with a 5-1 slate after their 120-109 win in Detroit Monday night.
Stephen Curry named Western Conference Player of the Week
Curry sustained his hot shooting with 34 points against the Pistons on the back of a consecutive game with seven 3-pointers.
The Warriors superstar was named Western Conference Player of the Week before he torched the Pistons. In the past week, Curry led the Warriors to a 3-1 record, averaging 30.1 points per game while making 23 three-pointers in the four games – on 52.3% shooting.
Curry also put up 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists as he regained his starting point guard role with Paul relegated to the bench.
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